It is not every day a major British sports star like Beth Tweddle swings by Central Helicopters’ HQ with the aim of fulfilling a life-long ambition. So, we thought you might like to hear about it!

Former Olympic gymnast, turned reality TV star, Beth, who recently featured in Channel 4’s The Jump, joined us for a special one-off flying lesson. Beth was thrilled to finally tick off one of her top bucket list entries by taking the controls and piloting a helicopter here at our Nottinghamshire base.

Beth was joined on the day by Alex and Victoria Shillaker, who won a lesson as a prize in the Mountain Warehouse Charity Challenge competition.

The couple have netted £10,000 for their chosen cause, Meningitis Now, after they declared they will trek to the summit of the Aconcagua Mountain in Argentina for their chosen charity.

After Captain David Marsland’s safety briefing, it was soon time for the world-famous gymnast to get strapped into our R44 four-seater helicopter, and, quite literally, reach new heights. The special half-hour flight included hands-on control of the aircraft, hovering and circuits.

We would like to thank Beth, Alex and Victoria for being fantastic sports and adding to what was a fantastic day for all the Central Helicopters’ team.

Watch the video from this very special day!

Find out more about Meningitis Now